Britney Harper
by Paige1915
Summary: Britney Miller has been bounced through the foster system ever since her parents died seven years ago. None of the foster homes she lived in felt like home... until she came to live with the Harper family. With her new siblings, Britney Miller-Harper will embark on adventure after adventure, and somewhere along the way, she might just discover the meaning of family. AU
1. Britney And The New Family

_Hello, everyone! This is a prompt from StephanieandMichelle4life._

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own the TV series Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn. The character Britney Harper was an idea given to me by StephanieandMichelle4life._**

* * *

 _Smoke was stinging her eyes, forcing itself into her lungs until she felt like she was suffocating. She was uncomfortably hot, and she watched as the white paint on her door started to flake off, black burning itself onto the door, and she knew the flames were right outside her bedroom._

 _She could hear her Mommy and Daddy screaming her name somewhere in the house, but she didn't have the air in her lungs to call back or even to start crying. Smoke had curled its way under her bedroom door and had filled the room until she couldn't even see a hand in front of her face._

 _Mommy and Daddy's cries had long since been silenced by the time her eyes started to close, feeling oddly tired, despite the fear that was choking her even more than the smoke._

 _The least thing she heard was a thunderous boom as the door was kicked down, and a shadow was reaching for her…_

* * *

Britney Lucy Miller sat up in her bed with a gasp, and she spent the better part of the next few minutes trying to catch her breath.

She felt sticky with sweat, and her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest; she felt nauseous and dizzy and both exhausted and too pumped with adrenaline to fall back asleep. She collapsed back onto her bed, her hand twisting in her brown hair, and her green eyes staring into the darkness of the bedroom.

She'd had the nightmare again. The nightmare that was yanked directly out of her memories; the memory of the fire played on a loop in her mind, and almost every time she fell asleep, she found herself back in her old bedroom with smoke forming a metaphorical noose around her neck and unbearable heat tightening that metaphorical noose, squeezing the life out of her.

Britney had only been two years old when her parents perished in a house fire. Trapped in her room by the flames directly outside her door and too terrified, not to mention blinded by smoke, to find her window and leap out. It would've meant a two story fall, but she would've rather died from a fall like that than burn to death.

A fire fighter had kicked her door down (it was too hot from the flames to touch) and rescued her while his comrades focused on putting out the fire.

Grieving the death of her parents, Britney had been thrown into foster care, which didn't exactly help the healing process.

Don't get me wrong: most of the families were very nice (and some of them were not so nice, but Britney tried to forget about those families), but none of those houses were homes and none of those people were her family. She didn't feel like she belonged there. It was like she knew in her bones that she had some place to be, some place she could call home and people that she could call her family, but she didn't know where that place was.

She'd just been taken out of her twelfth foster home (I am not exaggerating. Twelve foster homes, three group homes, four orphanages, and a month of living on the streets after she ran away from her sixth foster home because the parents were physically abusive and the kids there were bullies and nothing more) because Britney had more medical/psychiatric issues than even she could count. Asthma, Type One Diabetes, PNES (a seizure disorder that was connected to her psychiatric illness), severe insomnia, a blood clotting disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that was just the tip of the ice berg! Basically, foster families saw her as very high maintenance and couldn't take care of her for more than a few months.

Britney was currently staying with her social worker (children very rarely stay with their social worker, but her social worker was a firm believer in the safety of the child comes first, and after Britney had to be rushed to the hospital because some kids at a group home stole her inhaler, her social worker decided she would be safer with her than at another group home); it was just for one night, and later today, Britney would be shipped off to yet another foster home that would either give her back or Britney would request to be taken to a new family for one reason or another.

Britney was beginning to think she'd never find a place to belong or people to call family…

* * *

"Britney, we're going to do something a little different this time," her social worker, Mrs. Greensburg, stated as she led Britney through the crowded office where the social workers worked. "This time, you get to pick the family you want to stay with."

Britney's eyes widened. "Really?"

Mrs. Greensburg nodded with a smile as she led Britney to a long table in the back with ten files placed on top of it.

"All right, Britney, these are ten potential families we found for you," Mrs. Greensburg told her. "Look through the files. Take your time. I'll go do some paperwork and check on you in an hour or so. Let me know when you've made your decision."

Britney nodded before Mrs. Greensburg returned to her desk and picked up the first file.

 _(NOTE: Any schools, addresses, people, etc. in this section are made up, and any similarities to actual people and places are purely coincidental.)_

The first file was about the Kingston family.

They seemed nice enough. Johnny (43) and Mary (42) Kingston lived on 13142 Avenue Street (a nice neighborhood, a little fancy. Higher middle class usually lived there) and had two daughters, Zoey (15) and Jasmine (17). The daughters both attended Jerry High School and Britney would attend Thorn Elementary School. Johnny was a business man and owned a strand of popular restaurants while Mary worked as an account and worked from home.

Overall, they sounded like a good family. Britney didn't think she would click with them, but she set their file in the 'possible' pile.

The next file was about the Baker family.

They sounded like good parents. William (44) and Karen (44) Baker lived in the country at 16225 Mist Lane and had eight kids (yes. Eight kids)- Sarah (21), Jordan (19), Lana (17), Cole (15), twins Molly and Mike (10), Jack (8), and Annie (7). Sarah and Jordan had moved out; Lana and Cole attended Michaels High School while Molly, Mike, Jack, and Annie attended Forest Elementary School, where Britney would also attend. William worked as a coach for the high school basketball team and Karen worked as a reporter for the newspaper, mostly working from home.

They sounded like a good family, but with so many kids, Britney couldn't see her medical and psychiatrist issues getting the attention they need; Britney had lived with big families before and was familiar with how easily she would get lost in the shuffle.

Britney placed the file in the 'no' pile.

The third file was about the Stewart family.

Their picture made them look very stuck up with their noses turned into the air, and Britney could practically feel their air of 'better-than-you' suffocating her through the photograph. James (34) and Annaliese (33) Stewart lived in a mansion on Wedley Drive with their only son, James Stewart II. Stewart was home schooled and Britney would likely be as well. Annaliese didn't work, and James was an investor.

Britney thought it would be awesome to live with a rich family, but this family looked more stuck up than the king of England probably did back when the Mayflower sailed.

She put that file in the 'no' pile.

The Hollister family was next, and Britney immediately thought they would be a good pick.

The Hollister family lived at a vineyard in the country. Robert (40) and Linn (39) lived with their twin daughters Maya and Maria (11), who attended Winter Elementary School, where Britney would attend, as well. Robert worked the Vineyard with help from the whole family.

Their smiles in the photo seemed genuine, and they appeared to be very kind, so Britney placed that file in the 'possible' pile.

The Chase family was composed of the parents, Mark (41) and Veronica (29), and their three children, Bobby (8), Zack (7), and Jodie (4). They lived in a house on East Street; Mark worked as the head of some company that made toys, and Veronica was a model (no surprise. Even Britney had to admit that this woman was a knock out, although she wore _way_ too much make up). The children attended Creek Park Elementary, where Britney would attend, as well.

They seemed like nice people, but Britney had a really bad feeling about them, so she placed their file in the 'no' pile.

The next file was about the Wesley family.

The Wesley family lived in a small house on Charlie Drive and was composed of the parents, Carlos (27) and Emily (29), and their twins, Henry and Holly (3). Britney would attend St. Judes Catholic School. Carlos was a construction worker, and Emily was a stay at home mom, but would start working again when Henry and Holly entered Kindergarten.

They looked like a good family, so Britney placed their file in the 'possible' pile.

The next file was about the Fletcher family.

There were two parents, Carson (33) and Joy (37). Carson worked as a doctor, and Joy was a nurse, and they both worked at TrueHeart Hospital (Britney wondered if that was how they met). They had no kids. Britney would attend Park Way Elementary School.

Britney thought living with a doctor would be beneficial for her since she had so many health issues, so she placed their file in the 'possible' pile.

The Brewer family lived in an apartment on Lolly Street. Tommy (48) was a carpenter and his wife, Suzy (42), was a waitress. They had no kids, and in the photograph, all Britney could focus on was the angry glint in Tommy's eyes, and Suzy's seemingly permanent sad expression, as well as the mysterious bruise on her cheek.

Britney tossed that file in the 'no' pile pretty quickly.

The Donovan family didn't look too bad at first glance. They lived in a small house on Jordan Street. Nicolas (38) worked at a restaurant/bar, and his wife, Oceana (37), was a news reporter. They lived with their small son, Oliver (9), and the parents were both smiling, but Britney's eyes focused on the scared look in Oliver's eyes as he clung to his mother, looking at his father out of the corner of his eye, as though expecting the man to lunge at him.

That file went in the 'no' pile, as well.

Britney stared at the four files in the possible pile with a sigh. The families seemed nice, but she didn't feel like she would click with any of them. Britney rapidly lost all hope that the final file would hold a better future for her as she picked it up, but the minute she opened it, her eyes lit up.

The Harper family. The parents, Tom (44) and Anne (44), worked at a sporting goods store and lived on a house on Elm Lane with their quadruplets, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn (9). Britney would attend Edgewood Elementary School with them.

They didn't seem any more extravagant or any happier than the other possible families Britney had found, but something told Britney that she would be genuinely happy here. She could feel it in her bones, and ever since the night of the fire when Britney had ignored the bad feeling growing in her stomach as she went to sleep, Britney had learned to trust her instincts.

Britney maneuvered through the crowded room filled with social workers and desks and hundreds of files until she reached Mrs. Greensburg's desk.

Mrs. Greensburg grinned. "I haven't seen you smile this wide since… ever. I'm assuming you found a family?"

Britney nodded and handed her the file.

Mrs. Greensburg nodded. "The Harper family. Let me give them a call, and we can set everything up."

* * *

The house was nice. It was a three story, painted tan brown, and there was a giant SUV in the driveway. Toys littered the yard; bikes were propped up against the side of house; and just from their messy yard, Britney could tell that the four children were definitely polar opposites. Books, skateboards, basketballs, and toy cleaning and cooking supplies littered the grass, making it pretty obvious that these kids were nothing alike, but Britney liked that. It probably made things very interesting around her.

Mrs. Greensburg knocked on the door, and a short woman with short dirty blonde hair answered the door.

"Mrs. Greensburg," she exclaimed. "It's so nice to see you again, and you must be Britney. It's nice to meet you. Come on in."

Britney stepped into the house and saw it was just as messy inside as it was outside, but it was obvious they had tried and failed to keep the house clean. The dad was standing nearby, and the children were all sitting on the couch.

The dad was tall (and by tall, I mean he towered over everyone in the room) and thin with almost no hair, blue eyes, and laughing lines around his eyes and mouth. He was obviously a very happy man, and Britney liked him instantly, simply because his smile immediately offered her a sense of comfort and serenity she'd been chasing since her parents died seven years ago.

The children were all the same age, but not one of them looked alike.

The first boy was on the shorter side with short dark brown hair and dark colored eyes. He was scrawny and was wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and an apron (but that seemed more like he'd just forgotten he was wearing it than actually being a part of his outfit). The toy cooking and cleaning supplies probably belonged to him.

The second boy was slightly taller than the first with long blonde hair that fell into his blue eyes. He was also scrawny and was wearing a yellow, short sleeved shirt, a blue and green striped sweater vest, and khakis. He was holding a book, which he closed when Britney walked into the house. He must be the bookworm that owned the dozens of books that had been left outside.

The third boy was a little taller than the first two and had long brown hair, swept into a style most people deemed as cool. He was wearing a black jacket, a black T-shirt that read _To Do List: Play Video Games, Skateboard, Be Awesome!_ in a list format, and blue jeans. He had a charming smile, and Britney immediately liked him due to his aura of kindness and his apparent laid back attitude.

The only girl was taller than the three boys and had long brown hair that reached her waist. She was wearing a long purple shirt that ended half way down her jean clad thighs. She had the aura (if you couldn't tell by now, Britney is very good at reading people) of a leader and stood confidently at the front of the line, reminding Britney of a row of ducks with the girl (Dawn, she remembered) as the leading duck.

"Hey, Britney," the first boy said. "I'm Nicky. It's nice to meet you."

Britney liked this kid. He was polite and nice and had a great smile (Britney believed that you could always tell what kind of person someone was simply by their smile).

Britney shook hands with Nicky before turning to the blonde boy as he spoke.

"I'm Ricky, the smart one. You have any questions about homework or schoolwork, I'm your guy," he told her. Britney inferred that he was trying to be polite, but she took an immediate disliking, not to Ricky himself, but to the stuck up, know-it-all tone he carried and how he wore his intelligence like a crown. She vaguely wondered if he even noticed how annoying his know-it-all attitude was.

"I'm Dicky," the cool boy stated. "How you doing?" he asked.

"Good," Britney laughed. "Nice Joey impression."

Dicky frowned. "Who's Joey?"

"From _Friends_?" Britney asked.

Dicky nodded. "Oh, yeah," he said in an awed and slightly oblivious tone, and Britney got the feeling that he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but she didn't mind.

"Ignore him," Dawn said. "I'm Dawn."

Britney wasn't sure how she felt about Dawn yet. She seemed nice and smiled politely, but Britney hadn't formed a solid opinion on Dawn yet. She would have fun getting to know the girl, though, until that opinion was made.

"It's nice to meet you all," Britney told them.

Mrs. Greensburg pulled her aside and whispered, "What do you think?"

Britney looked at the family. She really liked Tom, Nicky, and Dicky and was unsure of Dawn and Anne. She didn't particularly like Ricky, but she had a feeling he would grow out of being a know it all as he matured, so she could deal with his arrogance until that happened.

Overall, she had a really good feeling about this family.

Britney smiled at her social worker. "I think… that I'm really going to like it here."

* * *

 _Please leave a review! Thank you for reading! Goodbye, everyone!_


	2. Britney And The Sister Situation

_Hello, everyone! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day! Chapter 2 has arrived! I hope you like it!_

 _EPISODE: DAWN MOVES OUT_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own the TV series Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn or its characters in any way, shape, or form. The character Britney Harper was an idea given to me by StephanieandMichelle4life._**

 ** _WARNINGS: AN INCREDIBLY BRIEF MENTION OF ABUSE. IT'S, LIKE, LESS THAN ONE SENTENCE, THOUGH._**

* * *

"What? But I don't want her to move into my room with me!" Britney exclaimed.

Britney had been living with the Harpers for three months and was finally starting to settle in. The first few weeks were tense and awkward as Britney struggled to walk around on shaky newborn legs, attempting to adjust to life in the Harper family. It was certainly chaotic. There was a new adventure every week, it seemed.

By the time a month had gone by, Britney had begun to adjust to this new life and stopped fearing that the Harpers would toss her back into foster care and would basically be throwing her to the wolves in doing so. She started to bond with Tom and Nicky soon after her one month anniversary as a somewhat member of the Harper family.

She loved Tom's humor. Mostly because he had a type of humor that made him funny… because he wasn't funny. His jokes were so lame, she couldn't help but laugh. And he liked her because she was different, but in a good way and not a wreck-everything-in-sight way. She disrupted the atmosphere of the Harper household without destroying anything or getting into trouble, and she actually liked being around him. His kids were growing up and didn't seem to have time for their old man anymore, and yet Britney could listen to him go on for hours without once looking bored or falling asleep. She'd lost her father years ago and now she was finding a new one in Tom, and she wasn't even scared to bond with this family. She knew there was a chance she would have to be taken away and sent to a different foster home, which should've scared her into not getting attached. But it didn't. Somehow… she just knew that everything would be okay.

Nicky was interesting, as well. He was polite and sweet but wasn't afraid to be himself. He was an underdog, the least appreciated Quad. He wasn't the leader like Dawn. He wasn't the genius like Ricky. He wasn't the cool one like Dicky. He wasn't really anything in particular. He was everything but he didn't have enough of a particular quality to have a label like his siblings (Dawn was the leader; Ricky was the smart one; Dicky was the cool one); he wasn't labeled and somehow that made him feel inferior. Britney didn't know why. Not being labeled offered power and freedom in a way that a label didn't. But that's why she bonded so easily with him. They were both outsiders within a group. Britney was an outsider within the Harpers (although that would hopefully change very soon), and Nicky was an outsider within the Quads.

Two weeks passed, and Britney started to slowly but surely bond with Dicky. She liked how he treated her. He treated her like she was _normal_ , like she'd been his sister since birth and not this strange, traumatized girl that had moved into his house, someone he needed to examine like a specimen under a microscope. For the first month, the entire family had been nervous around Britney. They'd been trying to learn her triggers panic attack and flashback wise. They'd been trying to help her, she knew, but after the fifth day of them constantly asking how she was doing and how she was feeling, it started to get very annoying. Dicky didn't treat her like glass. He treated her just like his brothers and Dawn instead of treating her like a snow globe that might break if he wasn't careful with it, like everyone else did. Britney decided that she liked Dicky pretty quickly; that second month just brought them closer.

While Britney bonded with her foster father and Nicky and Dicky, Anne, Dawn, and Ricky were harder to get along with.

Anne was really hard on her all the time. Britney had had strict foster parents and even abusive foster parents (luckily, there were only a few of those), but she really thought she would find a great family in the Harpers. To find out that her foster mother, who she thought could become just as much Britney's mom as her biological one, refused to get off her back about the smallest things, like leaving her plate on the table after meals or failing one test… it was very disappointing, and Britney had been disappointed too much in her life to even bother trying to change the fact that Anne was harder on her than her own kids. If she did try to change that, Britney would just be disappointed once again.

Dawn was another story. Britney didn't like the fact that the leader of the Quads wasn't a fighter. Dawn acted strong, but she wasn't. At least not in Britney's eyes. Dawn was weak, sometimes cowardly, and Britney had learned not to get too attached to the weak because you couldn't count of them.

Yes. Britney knows. Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't judge someone because their personality is different than yours. But Britney needed someone she could count on twenty-seven, three hundred and sixty-five days of the year. And she didn't think she could count on Dawn.

Ricky… the reason Britney didn't like him was both simple and complicated. Britney didn't like him because he was a know it all and arrogant. She believed that he would eventually mature and his big head would downsize a bit, but until he matured and realized that he was not better than anyone, Britney wasn't going to put up with his pompous and stuck up attitude.

That was okay, though, because Ricky didn't like her either. While Dawn scrambled for her attention and approval, Ricky glared at her whenever she walked into a room. It wasn't for the reasons you might think. Ricky cared about Britney and would die for her if necessary, and he liked her as a person and liked having her as a part of the family. But he didn't like how she treated Dawn. Ricky and Dawn fought and argued so much that hardly anyone knew this, but Ricky was fiercely protective of Dawn and the fact that Britney didn't treat Dawn the best didn't exactly help her get into Ricky's good books. So while they didn't hate each other, they certainly didn't like each other. Britney wanted Ricky to grow up and realize that everything isn't about him and that he isn't better than anybody while Ricky wanted Britney to grow up and realize that just because someone isn't like you or someone doesn't meet your expectations doesn't give you an excuse to treat them like dirt.

"Britney, Dawn is moving into your room, and that is final," Anne said before walking away without another word.

Britney turned around and wasn't entirely surprised to see Dicky standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"It isn't fair that she has to move into my room," Britney sulked, sitting at the table.

Dicky shrugged. "Britney… maybe you should give this a chance."

Britney jerked one of her shoulders up in any angry shrug. "Why?"

"Britney, I know you don't trust Dawn, but you haven't really given her a chance to earn your trust. Ricky is right about one thing, Brit… you don't have to like Dawn, but not liking her is no excuse to treat her like crap," Dicky told her. "I know that you feel like Dawn isn't a fighter, that she's weak, that she won't have your back when you need her, but Britney… you've only known Dawn for three months. I've known her my whole life. And I will be the first to tell you that Dawn has never let me down."

Britney bit her lip. Dicky did have a point. The girl had only known Dawn for a few months and had been pretty quick to judge her. Within a week of moving into the Harper house, Britney had formed a negative opinion about Dawn. Dicky had known Dawn since day one. Britney hadn't even known her for a year, and Dicky had known her for almost ten. Maybe Dicky was right…

Don't give her that look. Dicky may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he could be pretty smart when he wanted to be.

Britney sighed. "But what if I do try to trust her and she lets me down?"

Dicky smiled. "Britney, she might let you down or she might not. You'll never know unless you try to trust her."

Dicky stood up and approached the swinging kitchen door, but he stopped in the doorway and turned around to face his foster sister.

"Britney… you don't think you can count on Dawn. At least give her a chance to prove you wrong," he stated before disappearing into the living room.

* * *

Dawn awkwardly swung her legs on her bed while a silent and obviously unhappy Britney grabbed her bathrobe and a towel before exiting the room without a word. A moment later, Dawn heard the shower turn on.

She didn't know why Britney hated her so much. Ricky told her that Britney thought Dawn was weak, that she couldn't fight, that she wouldn't have Britney's back. Britney had judged her quickly and harshly, and Ricky held that against her, but Dawn was determined to change Britney's opinion. Not for Britney or herself. But because Britney needed to learn that the first judgement you make about someone is usually wrong. Dawn loved her foster sister, but she would be more than happy to teach Britney that important life lesson.

Dawn stood up from her bed and slipped on Britney's boxing gloves before ramming a fist into the punching bag hanging from the ceiling. The force stung her hand, but Dawn liked the burst of energy she felt as she released some of her anger on the heavy black bag. Dawn began hitting it, using good form, and before she knew it, she was punching it harder than Britney usually did, and Dawn smiled.

Britney thought Dawn couldn't fight, that Dawn wouldn't have her back, that she couldn't count on Dawn to defend her and protect her and help her if she ever needed it, and she certainly couldn't count on Dawn to protect their brothers if _they_ ever needed protection.

Well… it was time for Dawn to prove her wrong.

* * *

 _I love feedback (but keep it kind or constructive criticism because any flames will be ignored and reported if necessary), so please tell me what you thought of chapter 2 in the form of a review or a PM! This story only has one review so far, so please make sure to post a review if you would like to offer some positive or helpful feedback._

 _I will try my best to have chapter 3 posted some time tomorrow, so if you have not already, follow me and/or follow this story so that you do not miss the next update. Thank you._

 _Thank you all for reading, and I will see you next time! Goodbye, everyone!_

 ** _Word Count:_** _2, 000 words_


	3. Britney And The Fist Fight

_Hello, everyone! Chapter 3 has arrived! I hope you like this new chapter!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own the TV show Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn in any way, shape, or form. The character Britney Harper was an idea given to me by StephanieandMichelle4life._**

* * *

As requested, Britney did try to put a little bit of faith in Dawn, tried to get to know her, but she began to feel like she'd ruined any chance she had of a friendship or even a simple relationship that had some trust if they couldn't be friends. They walked to class together and awkwardly ate lunch together, but simply being near Dawn took up all of Britney's energy, so Britney wasn't exactly putting forth much effort. Even Dawn had stopped making too much an effort.

The sisters walked beside each other in the hall on the way to science class, and other students could feel the tension radiating off of them as they passed, but no one had the nerve to comment on it.

The first bell had rang, and the hallways were emptying. Dawn and Britney tried to rush off to class, but they were stopped by Sarah Paul.

Sara Paul, notorious mean girl and Edgewood Elementary's It Girl, came to a stop in front of them with her posse of followers. The popular cliché. Every school has one, even Elementary schools, and Sara's clique was composed of two beautiful girls. One had the potential to be a genius if she applied herself, but she was as boring as a sack of rocks. The other wasn't smart enough to get out of a paper bag, but she did have tons of personality. They balanced each other out, which was probably why Sara 'chose' them for her perfect group.

Sara didn't seem to be in any hurry, and neither did her followers. All of the teachers loved Sara, so she knew that her and her girls could get away with almost anything. Including being late.

The bell gave a shrill scream.

"Sara, move. We need to get to class," Britney ordered. She resisted the urge to glare when Dawn didn't say anything to back her sister up. Just stood in the background, quiet and almost curious.

Britney was right all along. Dawn would never have her back.

Sara laughed. "What are you going to do if I don't move, orphan girl?"

Britney felt a strange change in the atmosphere. Britney had always been good at reading the air surrounding a person. Some people can read people based on their expression or how they carry themselves (example: holding themselves with confidence). Britney could read people based on the air they carried with them.

For example, she could tell Sara was a jerk just by looking at her fake smile.

She wondered what was causing the sudden change before deciding it was her own anger; she didn't even think to turn around and see that the sudden change had been brought on by Dawn, who was giving Sara a death glare that could've literally killed her if Sarah and Britney would break their staring contest.

"You. Take. That. Back," Britney said in a scarily quiet voice. Sara's goons shifted, uneasily, obviously having expected Britney to start yelling.

"No. I. Won't," Sara replied, mimicking Britney's tone and volume with a mocking grin. "It's true, isn't it? Your parents perished when you were only two, and then you went to… what was it? Twelve fosters homes? Before finding one that would actually keep you."

The smarter group member, Jean Riley, and the not-so-bright group members, Abby Kyle, laughed, although their giggles sounded fake.

Sara shrugged. "I suppose I shouldn't say that. It's only a matter of time before they throw you back, too."

Britney almost expected Dawn's silence at this point, but if she had simply turned around, she would've seen Dawn clenching her fists so tightly, bloody crescents appeared on her skin where her nails had dug into her palms. Dawn's pale skin was rapidly turning a deep rose, the color of an apple, to display the anger boiling just beneath the surface. Abby was the only one that noticed, and Abby wasn't very smart and had trouble reading expressions, but even she could tell the anger building inside of Dawn was about to burst, and she did not want to be too close when that happened, so she took a big step backwards, away from Dawn.

Britney snarled, "You have no right, Sara!"

Sara shrugged. "Maybe I don't have the right, but I do have the opportunity and the information. After all, the Harper Quads don't technically even allow Mae, Dawn's best friend, into their group, so why should they allow a damaged orphan into their tight knit little group?"

Dawn was literally shaking with anger at this point, and Abby began to back down the hall. Only Jean noticed, but Jean wasn't willing to point it out while Sara and Britney remained too locked into their battle of words to see Abby disappear around the corner and race into her next class before the inevitable fight had the chance to break out.

No one, not even her brothers, had ever seen Dawn that angry, and apparently Abby was the only smart one at that moment in time (ironic, I know) since she was the only one that ran away before Dawn's rage exploded.

"I may not be a member of their group, but I'm still their sister," Britney growled.

"Oh, yeah?" Sara responded. "Then why isn't your _sister_ defending you?"

It was only then that Jean noticed the anger bubbling within Dawn and grabbed Sara's hand to get her attention.

"Sara?" she murmured.

"Not now," Sara snapped. "Britney Miller, you are broken-"

"Sara?" Jean repeated.

"And damaged and have more medical issues and mental problems than fingers."

"Sara?" Jean reiterated, her voice beginning to quiver.

"And news flash, Britney, no one likes damaged goods."

"SARA!" Jean shouted.

"WHAT?" Sara screamed, turning to face her with a death glare appearing on her face.

Jean pointed over Britney's shoulder, and Sara turned back around just in time to get a fist thrown into her face. The fist didn't belong to Britney. No. It belonged to Dawn.

Britney couldn't have been more shocked as her sister began to punch Sara repeatedly while Sara started beating the smaller girl to a bloody pulp. Sara may be pretty and petite (although not as petite as Dawn), but she was still a really good fighter, and Dawn was getting her butt kicked, but the few punches Dawn got in were strong and powerful and accurate. Britney was almost… okay, Britney was _definitely_ impressed.

Britney didn't have time to get over her shock before Jean attacked her with flying fists and kicking feet and flailing limbs. Jean was far from a good fighter and didn't have very much muscular strength, but her punches were very accurate (Britney inferred that being good at math and science helped Jean with her accuracy, but having a C- in gym class probably didn't help with her strength).

Britney was surprised by how easily Jean got the upper hand in the fight. Jean sat on Britney's waist and began wailing on the foster child, punching her across the face, in the ribs, and wherever she could reach. Jean wasn't a good fighter, but she did have a lot of pent up anger. Britney couldn't even imagine being Sara's lap dog, running errands for her, and doing this and that, and doing whatever Sara asked of her. When Sara asked her to jump, Jean was expected to ask how high or risk ending up friendless. Sara had more than enough power as the most popular girl in school to knock Jean to the bottom of the food chain with no friends or even acquaintances or allies. She'd be completely and utterly alone, and Britney could imagine how angry Jean must be after virtually being used as a servant ever since she became 'friends' with Sara. Since she couldn't take it out on Sara, she took it out on Britney.

Meanwhile, Dawn was getting beaten badly. Sara was strong and angry and vicious and a good fighter. Not a good combination.

Dawn was on the ground, the cold air radiating off of the school floors burning her back through her shirt. She could feel blood pouring out of her nose, and she was sure that her eye was swelling, and due to her split lip and bloody nose and cut up chin (Sara's rings were just as unforgiving as she was), her face must've looked like a total gore fest. She was a little worried that Sara's weight on her chest might break one of her ribs before Dawn's hand flew up and grabbed Sara by the hair, rolling over so that she was on top of Sara and was punching her, powerfully and accurately.

It didn't take long for Sara to shove Dawn off of her and return to her feet with her fists at the ready. Their fight resumed while Britney and Jean never seemed to stop or even change course as Britney continued to get beat up and Jean continued to beat her up.

Dawn needed to win her fight with Sara so that she could go help her sister, but she didn't get the chance because Sara punched her hard in the face, and Dawn's head began to spin as she dropped like a stone, falling to the school floors and trying to focus her eyes and silence the ringing in her ears.

Dawn's blurry vision came back into focus in time to see Sara stalking towards Britney to help Jean, and Dawn cursed. There was no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks she was letting Sara Paul of all people harm her sister, not after she had stooped so low as to taunt Britney for being an orphan. Most bullies at Edgewood had the decency to make fun of Britney for her intelligence or her looks or some other stupid reason and stayed away from Britney's past and the fact that she was an orphan, a foster kid. Making fun of Britney for something like that was below the belt, and Sara knew it. She just didn't care.

Sara had already hurt Britney with words (Britney refused to show it, but Dawn knew those words had hurt her more than fists ever could). Dawn wasn't going to let Sara hurt Britney physically, too.

Dawn shot to her feet with strength and speed she didn't even know she was capable of, especially in her current condition. Dawn leaped onto Sara's back, pulling her hair and punching her wherever she could reach while Sara fell backwards with a scream of surprise.

Britney smiled, proudly, but she didn't have time to say anything else because Jean punched her again, and Britney's anger returned full force as she twisted her body and switched their positions so that Britney was pinning Jean to the ground. By the time four minutes had passed, Britney's own injuries didn't even compare to Jean's. Jean had a bloody nose, a split chin, a fat lip, bruises painting both of her cheeks, cuts all over her face from Britney's only piece of jewelry, a ring that belonged to her mother (and the only thing- other than Britney, obviously- that survived the fire). Britney knew more bruises existed beneath Jean's clothes, but she'd been careful not to break any bones. If this were Sara, Britney would've shattered every bone in her body, but this was Jean. Jean usually had the decency to avoid outright insulting Britney, although she did give a false laugh when Sara called her names or insulted her, so Britney decided while Jean deserved the beating, she didn't deserve a hospital visit.

Britney expected to win the fight, but like I said earlier, while Jean's punches weren't very powerful, they were accurate, and one punch was sent flying into the bottom of her jaw, right above her neck. Britney flew backwards and Jean hesitated, unsure if she should begin punching Britney when she was down, but Britney held up a hand. Britney had her pride and wasn't one to give up, but she knew a defeat when she saw one.

Dawn was still getting beaten by Sara, but seeing Britney on the ground fueled Dawn's determination. She had to check on her sister, so she sent a foot flying into Sara's chest, knocking the breath out of her, and Dawn used a technique she'd seen on TV and had practiced on Dicky when he pulled a prank on her. She brought her fingers together to form an o with her fingers brought to one collection point at the end before touching Sara, who was distracted by trying to get her breath back, between the eyes and flinging her fingers apart until her palm hit Sara's nose and her hand was completely flat (I saw this fighting move on _Henry Danger_ in the episode _Balloons Of Doom_ , so for those of you that have seen that episode, Dawn used the same move Henry used on Dr. Maniac). Sara stumbled back, stunned, before falling to the ground and groaning in a disoriented daze. Dawn had officially won her first fist fight.

"You four, break it up!" the principal ordered as he appeared. "I want all four of you to go the nurse, and as soon as she gives you the all clear, report to my office. If you don't come, you have a month of detention on top of whatever punishment I give you for the fist fight. Understood?"

The four children muttered agreements before Jean helped Sara to her feet, and they trudged off to the nurse.

* * *

Their punishment at school was not as bad as Britney had expected. Two months of detention for all four of them, and two more months for Sara for bullying Britney, bringing Sara's total to four months of detention. Britney had expected her and Dawn to be in detention all year or maybe even get suspended for a few days, but their punishment ended up being two months of detention and a call home.

Scratch that 'the punishment wasn't so bad' thing. Now Anne would ground Britney for the rest of the year!

But when they arrived home, Anne didn't ground them, and even though Britney had a feeling she would regret it, she asked why.

Anne chuckled. "Britney, the reason I am so hard on you is because I want you to grow up knowing right from wrong. Jean did throw the first punch, so although the beating was a bit over the top, you were defending yourself. Not to mention the fact that Sara bullied you for not having parents, and Jean did nothing but laugh. I would've punched them, too," Anne admitted before disappearing into the kitchen.

Britney smiled as her heart finally started to grow a little more to allow Anne and Dawn in. She'd begun liking the two other girls in the Harper family over the span of one day, and that didn't even include what happened that afternoon.

* * *

"Can you believe that?" Ricky babbled. After learning that Britney had started liking Dawn, he began talking to her again, but Britney wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that as Ricky continued to go on and on about his latest test score. "110%. Technically, you can't even go over a hundred! I guess I should've expected it," he said, puffing his chest out, pompously. "I am top of my year, and-"

Britney smacked her book on the table. Ricky was supposed to be helping her study for math, but if he wouldn't shut up, she'd never get her assignment done.

"For Pete's sake, Ricky, would you stop going on about yourself for one minute? You are the single most arrogant person I have ever met!"

Britney sighed, closing her book and preparing to leave the room, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard a quiet voice whisper, "I know."

Britney whipped around to see Ricky staring at his math homework, not meeting her eyes. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he hadn't even spoken.

"What?" Britney asked, almost not believing what she'd heard.

Ricky shrugged. "I know. I know I act arrogant and pompous and stuck up, but I'm not better than anyone. I know that."

Britney frowned. "Then why do you act like it?"

Ricky pursed his lips. "Britney, I may be smarter than you academically, but you have social skills and fighting skills and you know what a joke means and how to make friends. I don't. Dawn's the leader. Dicky's cool. Nicky's nice. All _likeable_ traits. Kids my age don't like smart, okay? So I act like I'm better than everyone to make everyone like me more, think I am better than I really am. But it back fired. Big time."

Britney sighed. "Ricky, people would like you if you just started acting like yourself and not some know it all jerk. Kids may not be a big fan of smart compared to cool, but you're not just smart. You're a lot of things. Maybe if you stopped focusing on being smart and focused more on finding out who you are, maybe you would realize that."

Ricky smiled. "Thanks, Britney. I know that I'm stuck up and self centered, but Britney, you're not a saint either. Don't judge somebody by how they act because 99% of the time, there's more to the story. If you would take a second and think about that… if you were patient with people instead of making quick judgements, maybe you would know that."

Britney chuckled. "Using my own words against me, aren't you?" she joked. "But I will try to be more patient with you and Dawn and… everyone. Okay? I'll stop judging people right off the bat. That sound good to you?"

Ricky grinned. "That sounds perfect. I love you, Britney."

Britney took a deep breath before saying three words she hadn't said in a long time.

"I love you, too, Ricky. I love you and your siblings and your parents. You're the only ones I've been able to call family since my parents died," Britney told him. "Thank you."

Ricky shrugged. "You never need to thank us for caring about you," he told her before embracing her. Britney surprised herself by hugging back.

* * *

 _Please review! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed chapter 3! Goodbye, everyone!_


	4. Britney And The Harper Quads' Birthday

_Hello, everyone!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing. The character Britney Harper was an idea given to me by StephanieandMichelle4life._**

* * *

February 14 arrived with sunny skies, a sheet of endless blue without a single cloud in sight. It was oddly warm for a February morning in Colorado. Maybe the universe decided to give the Harper Quads some good luck (Heaven knows they need it. If they don't find trouble, trouble finds them) on their twelfth birthday.

Britney smacked a hand on her alarm clock the second it went off, and she glanced at Dawn's bed and sighed in relief when she found her sister sleeping soundly, even snoring slightly.

Britney sat up and swept her blankets off of her body and silently placed her feet on the floor, tip toeing across the rug until she reached the bedroom door.

February 14th had fallen on a Saturday, thank goodness, and dawn (sunrise, I mean. Not Britney's sister) had come and had barely went when Britney awakened long before her parents and siblings. She needed to prepare the presents for her brother and sister and needed to get the location ready. She wouldn't have their parents finding out the gifts she had prepared for her siblings, or she'd be grounded for life. And would have to explain where she got the money, which would mean telling them she'd taken some of the money out of her college fund…

Britney wasn't even twelve years old yet (her birthday wasn't for another few months); she had six years to replace all of the money she borrowed from her college fund before Tom and Anne would even notice.

If she was even in this foster home for that long…

Britney tried not to think like that, but it was hard not to. Tom and Anne had yet to officially adopt her after almost two years, or even suggest adopting her. She knew they loved her, but she wasn't sure if they loved her enough to make Britney living in this house a permanent situation. She would be lying if she said that didn't hurt.

A little after her eleventh birthday, she'd started writing Britney Harper on her school assignments by accident and would cringe as she erased the last name and replaced it with Miller.

Because she wasn't a Harper. Not yet, anyway.

But that didn't mean she wasn't going to make this the best birthday ever for her brothers and sister!

Britney picked up her cell phone and dialed the number for her best friend, Katie MaKentire.

"Is everything ready?" Britney questioned.

 _"Yep. Everything is checked, double checked, triple checked, and quadruple checked,"_ Katie answered. _"Get it? Quadruple… because they're quadruplets? Get it?"_

Britney chuckled. "I get it," she told her friend. "Mission Make This The Best Birthday Ever For My Little Siblings is ago!"

 _"Yay! Wait… little siblings? Aren't they older than you?"_ Katie asked.

Britney shrugged, even though Katie couldn't see her. "Yeah, but they treat me like their protective older sibling and I treat them like my siblings that _need_ protecting. It works."

 _"Okay, then… Mission Make This The Best Birthday Ever For Britney's Little Siblings Who Are Actually Older Than Her But She Still Acts Like An Older Sister And They Still Treat Her As An Older Sibling Even Though She's Younger Than Them is ago!"_

"Okay, first order of business, think of a shorter name for this operation," Britney decided. "Second order of business… wake up call!" she said before hanging up and creeping up the stairs and into the boys' room.

Britney knelt over Ricky's bed and whispered, "Ricky… someone else is training to become the first astronaut lawyer in space!"

Ricky sat bolt up right, nearly conking his head on Nicky's bunk. "What?" he hissed while Britney held a finger to her lips.

"Shh," Britney murmured with a grin. "I'm kidding. Don't wake Mom and Dad. You and the other three are about to have the best birthday of your lives, but Mom and Dad can't know or they'll spoil the fun, so shhhh!"

"Shhh!" Ricky returned with a teasing smile while Britney straightened up and peered at Nicky's slumbering face. He looked so peaceful…

"Nicky, quick! The germs are growing so big that they're swallowing people whole!" Britney cried quietly.

Nicky went to scream as he awakened immediately, but Britney clapped a hand over his mouth and chuckled at his panic and suddenly alert expression.

"Calm down, germ-a-phobe," Britney laughed. "I'm taking you and the others to have the best birthday ever, but we can't wake Mom and Dad, or they'll ruin it."

Nicky nodded. "Okay, but just in case the germs do start growing and swallowing people, I'm prepared!" He exclaimed quietly as he pulled a gigantic bottle of hand sanitizer out from under his comforter.

"Why do you have that in your bed?" Ricky questioned.

Nicky shrugged. "Did you expect me not to? I also have my lucky spoon," he told them, showing them his wooden spoon, which he pulled out from under his pillow.

Britney shook her head with a fond smile at her brother's weirdness as she approached Dicky's bunk.

"Dicky, your hair's coming out in clumps," Britney mock sobbed, and Dicky was up in a flash, pulling a mirror out from under covers to check his hair. "I'm just kidding, bro. You're going to have the best birthday ever, and I had to wake you up quietly, so we don't wake Mom and Dad. And why do you keep a mirror under your covers?"

"You don't?" Dicky asked as he slipped the mirror back under his blanket.

"You keep a mirror in your bed. Dufus over there keeps a bottle of hand sanitizer and his lucky spoon under his covers. What do you keep in your bed: A book?" Britney demanded, turning to Ricky, but when he inhaled and opened his mouth to reply, she held up a hand in a stop motion. "Don't answer that. Now… let's go get Dawn and have the best birthday ever!"

The boys cheered, but Britney shushed them, not wanting to wake their parents, and the boys continued to cheer, only in a whispered voice.

Britney crept into the room she shared with Dawn and frowned when she found her sister's bed vacant.

A hand touched her shoulder and a voice hissed from behind her, "Boo!"

Britney jumped a foot in the air as she spun around to face a laughing Dawn.

"What are you doing up so early?" Dawn asked.

Britney shrugged. "Oh, I don't know… giving you the best birthday ever. Come on!" she urged, and she dragged Dawn down the stairs, followed by their brothers, and out the door.

Katie was already waiting out front; her older sister Brenda was in the driver's seat of the car, and Katie was in the middle of the front row of seats. Britney slipped into the seat beside Katie while her four siblings squeezed into the back seat (it only had three seats, but the Quads were so scrawny, the four of them fit into three seats easily). They were only driving for ten minutes, anyway.

Brenda drove the five siblings and her own little sister to her house roughly ten minutes away.

Brenda and Katie's parents were rich, and I mean filthy rich. Their house was so big, Britney had been Katie's best friend since the foster child moved into the Harpers' house, and she spent most of her time at this house and still got lost. Their parents lived in a mansion with eight cars (who even needs that many cars?) and seemed to have everything. Katie liked being rich, but she wasn't a snob about it and was still very humble and insisted on attending public school instead of the fancy private school her parents had tried to convince her to attend.

"What is the surprise?" Dawn demanded as Britney escorted them to a nice room on the first floor and opened the door to reveal a cake that had _Happy Birthday, Harper Quads. Try not to make so many messes this year_ written across it in icing. How they fit all of that on the cake, I have no idea. The cake was split into four parts. One part was pure chocolate (Dicky's favorite); one was pure vanilla/white cake (Ricky's favorite); one part was ice cream cake (Nicky's favorite); and the last part was marble- vanilla cake with a swirl of chocolate cake in the center, for those of you that don't know what marble cake is- cake (Dawn's favorite).

There were streamers and some of the Quads favorite games (whack-a-mole, a basketball arcade game, magic theme games, and much more) were all around the room. There was a table with three gifts on it. There was a small box beside a large rectangular present that had a smaller present stacked on top of it.

"Welcome to your party!" Britney exclaimed. "But before anything else, presents."

"Mom and Dad never let us open presents first," Dawn said in excitement.

"Mom and Dad aren't here!" Britney cheered. Ricky opened his mouth, but Britney interrupted him, "And Ricky, before you ask, I did tape a note to Dad's forehead telling him we're at Katie's and will be back by noon. Just in time for them to give us more cake! Now, Ricky, you first."

She handed Ricky the small individual present and he ripped off the paper before squealing in excitement when he found the latest smart phone in his hands.

Britney handed Dicky his present next (the two presents stacked on top of each other), and he opened the larger package to reveal a stack of Playboy magazines before opening the smaller one and finding a box of condoms.

"I expect you to hide those magazines well," Britney told him. "I know you've hit puberty and will probably become sexually active very soon. I'm not going to try and stop you, but I do not want to become an aunt too soon, so do both of us a favor and use those condoms."

Dicky chuckled. "I will," he told her.

"Nicky, your present is a little different," Britney said to him. "I asked around school and found some girls that like you before deciding which girl you would like… and…"

She opened the door and a pretty girl with long brown hair and almond shaped eyes stepped into the room, smiling at Nicky.

"You got me a girlfriend!" Nicky gaped.

Britney nodded. "Yep. This is-"

"Georgina Pepperson," Nicky whistled. "Um, it's nice to see you."

"While you two get acquainted," Britney stated before turning Dawn around so that her back was facing Britney and wrapped a blind fold over her eyes, "Dawn, your present is outside."

Britney led Dawn to the garage, and the minute they stepped outside, she ripped the blind fold off to reveal a silver sports car, and Dawn's jaw dropped.

"Now, Dawn, this car is not a toy, and it comes with rules. You are never to drive it without me with you," Britney said, sternly. "You can only drive it in empty parking lots and on back roads where there are no other cars, at least until your fifteen and have a permit. And you are not to tell Mom and Dad that I got you this. It will stay at Katie's house; her parents have so many cars, they won't notice another one in their garage. On your sixteenth birthday, I will 'surprise' you with it, but until then, Mom and Dad cannot know."

Dawn cheered, saying thank you over and over again, as she hugged Britney, tightly.

"Best birthday ever," Dawn decided.

Britney smiled, ruffling Dawn's hair. "Glad to hear that, little sis."

Dawn's eyes lit up as Britney called Dawn her sister (to Dawn's face and not when she wasn't in the room) for the very first time.

* * *

 _A few notes:_

 _I do not agree with giving a twelve year old a car or a twelve year old Playboy magazines or a box of condoms (as I do not agree with **encouraging** twelve year olds to have sex), nor am I saying these objects are appropriate presents for twelve year olds. I do not recommend giving these objects to twelve year olds as presents. I don't judge people who believe these gifts are appropriate for 12 year olds, but I don't encourage giving these gifts to 12 year olds either._

 _Also, Britney did not necessarily 'give' Nicky a girlfriend. That would imply that I agree with treating girls like objects to be given and taken away whenever the person pleases, which I do not agree with. Britney helped the relationship along, but she not 'give' Nicky a girl. The girl liked Nicky; Nicky liked her, but a girl is not a gift. I'm a girl, and I would find it very demeaning if someone gave me to a boy as a gift, so Britney is not saying the girl is the gift. The gift is the fact that she is helping Nicky with his dating life, not the girl herself._

 _Finally, I apologize for any spelling errors or mistakes. I wanted to get this posted as soon as possible, so I did not thoroughly edit it. I edited it quickly, but if I missed any mistakes, I apologize._

 _Thanks for reading! Goodbye, everyone!_


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